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Inmarsat Annual Seminar 2018 in WMU

The Inmarsat Seminar is an annual WMU event and this year it was delivered from 6-8 August to all students in the MSc programme.

The first day began with an introduction to Inmarsat including information on Inmarsat’s role in relation to the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS).

Day two focused on security and safety at sea. Speakers included: Captain Moin Ahmed, Director General of the International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO) and a 1992 alumnus of WMU, who spoke on GMDSS and LRIT systems; Mr. Jori Nordstrom, Head of Operations and Deputy Director of The Finnish Lifeboat Institution who spoke on the role of the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF); and Mr. Wayne Perks from Inmarsat who focused on maritime cyber security.

The final day took a workshop format led by Mr. Dodd and Dr. Moon with the students divided into groups to discuss the following topics: (1) What is the biggest threat to the maritime industry in the next 20 years? and (2) How can modern technology improve maritime safety?

The discussions and debates among the students were lively and many shared their personal experiences from around the globe regarding GMDSS. This seminar enabled the students to discuss the current state of maritime information and communication technologies with Inmarsat experts. Such seminars provide an invaluable opportunity for the students, who are experienced maritime professionals from around the globe, to benefit from expertise of senior officials of Inmarsat and other related organizations. They also enable students to provide inputs relating to improvements that can be made in this critically important area.

Inmarsat has been a long-standing supporter of WMU including its continued commitment to the annual seminar as well as the funding of the Inmarsat Chair position at the University that was first established in 1994. The current holder of the Inmarsat Chair is Professor Daniel S.H. Moon.

WMU’s President, Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, stated: “On behalf of the University, I wish to express my deepest appreciation to Inmarsat for its dedicated and continued support to and involvement with the University over the years. Its contribution to WMU’s mission of maritime and ocean education and capacity building has been significant and we will continue to need this support into the future as technology and innovation will remain high on the maritime agenda for years to come.”